Charitable Donation Program

The Chicago Zoological Society is pleased to consider requests for complimentary passes for Nonprofit Fundraisers, Community Groups, and Public Libraries. Requests must be submitted at least six weeks in advance of event date or desired visit. Requests are reviewed and approved on a first-come first-serve basis. Donations are limited to one time per organization per calendar year. Due to the volume of requests, we regret that we are unable to accommodate all requests that ask for and merit our assistance. Please see below for more information.

The Chicago Zoological Society is pleased to consider requests for complimentary passes in support of fundraising events for nonprofit organizations - 501(c)(3) verified. Our program is designed to directly support nonprofit fundraisers; we are unable to participate in third party or individual requests. (If you are a business or individual sponsoring a charitable event, please ask a staff member of the charity to complete the donation request form.

Please note the following donation guidelines:

The organization must be a nonprofit within our market area and must be using the passes as a fundraising item for an auction or raffle.

A Family Admission Package is offered which consists of:

One parking pass, 6 general admission passes, 6 passes to the Hamill Family Play Zoo, 6 passes to the Carousel

The admission package will be mailed to the contact name and address provided at least one month in advance of the event.

All donation requests and questions/follow up must be submitted online. Requests made by phone, fax, or regular mail will not be considered.

The Chicago Zoological Society is pleased to consider requests for complimentary passes in support of nonprofit organizations working with underserved communities. While each request receives careful consideration, we regret that we are unable to accommodate all requests that ask for and merit our assistance.

Please note the following donation guidelines:

The organization must be a nonprofit within our market area and must be using the passes to assist their clients in visiting the zoo.

A maximum of 20 free general admission passes are available per group.

The passes will be mailed to the contact name and address provided at least one month in advance of the anticipated visit to the zoo.

All donation requests and questions/follow up must be submitted online. Requests made by phone, fax, or regular mail will not be considered.

The Chicago Zoological Society is pleased to consider requests for complimentary passes in support of pubic library children’s summer reading programs. While each request receives careful consideration, we regret that we are unable to accommodate all requests that ask for and merit our assistance.

Please note the following donation guidelines:

The public library must reside within our market area.

Requests are reviewed and approved on a first-come first-serve basis.

Due to the volume of requests, donations are limited to one time per library per calendar year.

50 free general admission passes for children (ages 3-11) are available per library.

The passes will be mailed to the library contact name and address in the month of May.

All donation requests and questions/follow up must be submitted online. Requests made by phone, fax, or regular mail will not be considered.